SECOND DRAFT

I posted only once during the month of October because I was working frantically on the second draft of Godtalk. It went well. I not only tightened the prose, but added and changed things that did not even exist in the first draft.

As I read and worked, I was more pleased with the novel than I remembered being and some parts caused me to laugh out loud or choke up, respectively, as if I was not the one who put those scenes to paper.

When I finished, I handed a copy over to another teacher in the English Department, who graciously offers (always) to read my stuff. She came in the next day with the mansucript box under her arm. I thought there was some problem with what I'd given her. As it happens, she read the first chapter before leaving school and said she "got hooked" and read it straight through (all 208 pages!) in one night! I found that very flattering, as well as a good sign. She even marked it up as she read.

My wife also started the book last night. She has been great about line editing the chapters as she reads them. It's all been such a big help. I think it's going well and everyone seems pleased. But there's still a lot of work to do.

Somewhere along the line, I managed to send my story "The Attendance Office" to the Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition. It would be nice if something came of that. I also sent out "Tales of the Virgin Mary" to three markets at once--which is something of a no-no. But I got two back within a couple weeks. The Threepenny Review rejection slip said they didn't read during the Fall months (I didn't see that on their website, I guess) and Agni (one of the big guns) sent a slip that said at the end "This is not our customary rejection slip," and "please consider submitting again." I took that as a good sign.

But, for now, my focus is Godtalk.

I've already started a list of ideas for draft number three.